Some decisions seem so small, that we just gloss over them in pursuit of our final goal, in whatever way it takes to get there. But, if God has instructed us to accomplish His will in a specific way, that's how it should be done, even if we don't understand why. In our message from 1 Chronicles today, David wants to get the ark back to Jerusalem. He's focused on that goal, and unconcerned about the methods he'll use to get there. But God cares, and has given specific instructions. When we overstep His guidelines, we can create chaos where there should be peace.

christian, imagine you know someone who is struggling financially. You want to help, so you pack up a box of food and deliver it to their doorstep. The next time you pass by their house, you see that the box is still full, untouched. As it turns out, the person has a wealth of food allergies. Your heart was in the right place, but it would have been better to just ask the person what they needed. As we'll hear today, when we receive a leading from the Lord, it's vital that we seek Him about how to carry out His plans. When we take matters into our own hands, good intentions can have disastrous consequences.

It's the weekend, and you've planned a wonderful party...from the food to the décor, you've made sure every last detail has been attended to. Everything is perfect, so you sit back and wait for the guests to arrive. You wait, and wait....and wait, but as the hours pass, you realize you never invited anyone. The same holds true for our churches. When you look around at a fellowship, most of the people sitting there first came because someone invited them. When you have fellowship with other believers, you can learn, grow, and disciple others. If you never tell anyone about the party, how can they come? From salvation to discipleship...it's a place to grow.

Imagine an oven full of baking cookies. The aroma is overwhelming, filling the room until the cookies are all you can think about. You're so anxious to have them, you pull out the tray and shove a cookie into your mouth. But, instead of a delicious treat, your mouth burns with searing hot dough. When we ignore God's leading to wait on Him, we push past His perfect will and step into a mess of our own making. We bite into an opportunity too early, missing out on the good stuff to come. As we'll see today, David has a long time to wait from the time he's appointed to the time he becomes King of Israel...time that he'll use to become a man of God.

When you hear an unbeliever wonder about why God would allow bad things to happen in the world...do you have an answer for them? Wars, sickness, hatred, death...none of it was ever God's plan. Man's disobedience set us on a path of self-destruction that we can never get away from...except for God's grace. Scripture provides countless examples of people turning from the Lord, even in the midst of great blessing. As Pastor Mark will show us today, God gave Saul many chances to repent and return to Him, but Saul gave in to his flesh. Our flesh will always fail us, but we can be made eternally perfect through God.

Our feelings, our thoughts, our desires, our goals...in a culture that prizes individuality, we're conditioned to think about ourselves first. You may begin with the best of intentions, with a leading from the Lord...but the moment things get uncomfortable or scary...you revert back to what YOU want. Think back to a toy you had that was your favorite thing in the world. When you had it, you thought nothing could ever make you as happy. Do you still feel the same way about it? Our flesh is fickle, our feelings change. But one thing doesn't change: The Word of God. We can hold onto the Word with confidence...the Lord is steadfast when we are not.

When you're quietly seeking revelation from God, seeking wisdom from the Word, or praying earnestly to Him...how often do you begin to daydream, or begin making lists for the day? It could be an attack from the enemy, waging spiritual warfare...seeking to stop you from moving forward in your walk with God. If you've ever been following God's leading and have felt attacked from every side...that's the enemy trying to knock you off the path of obedience. As we'll discover from the prayer of Jabez, you can pray a powerful prayer for the Lord to be at your side, at your back, and leading you through every hour of every day...so you can win the war.

Many wars have been fought by nations trying to expand their borders, seeking to influence the people of other lands and bring them under their control. God want us to do that, too...only not in the form of wars or power-seeking ventures. His desire is for us to broaden our reach to the world around us, testifying to the saving power of Jesus. As we'll hear today, a good place to start with that witness is in prayer, seeking the Lord that He'll open the doors for you. Once that divine appointment is made, be obedient to it...witnessing to your neighbors, colleagues, classmates, family...whoever it is that God has pressed on your heart.

Dysfunctional. Although the word just means “not functioning normally,” we most often associate it with people or families with problems. Everyone has difficulties in their lives, some much more than others, but people with all kinds of pasts have used their “dysfunctional past” to justify their own behavior. Today, we'll be encouraged to hear about people throughout Scripture that have overcome the difficult starts in their lives and gone on to achieve spiritual maturity and accomplish great things. As we'll hear, we all have the capacity to become new and start fresh in our lives. But, first we have to seek the Lord, forgiveness, and trust Him.

Little white lies. They've come to be commonplace and acceptable to most people. But, just like big whoppers, those little white lies can still cause damage. As believers, we're representing the name of the Lord, and there is no place for ANY sin...even when the world around you wants to let it slide. What the world considers “small” sin is still damaging to your testimony, and it makes it easier to accept more and more of the world and less of Jesus. Don't give into those little things. Honesty in small matters means you can be trusted with bigger ones, and that kind of witness will draw people in. Be a person of integrity and truth, like Jesus.